Kent League Cross Country Race 2 – Somerhill
The Kent League Cross Country season continued at Somerhill on Saturday, with its famous mud climb in full flow. With the team captains missing for different reasons, thank you very much to Lucille Johannes, Rose Sawyer, Cheeky, Ed Steele and others for ensuring the event went off smoothly for TWH!
All results are attached, but some highlights:
Super Vets
Congratulations to Michele Bradshaw, who extended her perfect start to the KL season with her second win in two races. Michele completed the 5km route in 27:25, to win by more than five minutes. Lucille got her season off to a flyer, finishing just 16 seconds behind the runner-up, to give TWH an impressive 1-3 result.
Senior Women
Running the 8k route, Blackheath & Bromley dominated again, with a 1-2-4 finish, but it was great to see Laura Whitehead make such a strong season debut, finishing 7th (34:49). Well done to Eileen Welch, finishing 69th and second Harrier on her Deckchair debut, with Rose Sawyer 71st to complete our top three. TWH finished 10th out of 15 teams in the 3-to-score comp, and sit 9th out of 20 teams in the standings after two races.
Within the age categories, Eileen, Rose, Suzannah and Julie finished 20-21-22-23 respectively on the W45 leaderboard, and to maintain some kind of symmetry, Diane and Maria finished 10-11 in the W55s. After two races, Diane sits 7th in the league’s W55 standings.
Senior Men
Tonbridge AC dominated the Senior men’s race, as they did at Foots Cray, and this time posted a perfect 1-2-3-4 finish for the First-4-to-score honours (at Foots Cray it was only 1-2-3-6!). Well done to Oliver Waymark, who was first Harrier across the line, as he was at Foots Cray, this time in 32nd place (29:53). Our 4-to-score line-up was completed by Ed Steele (44th and second Harrier, as usual), John Law (63rd) and Oliver Welch (84th). TWH was positioned a very respectable 8th in the 4-to-score team results, from 18 teams, and we are also 8th in the league table after two races.
TWH finished 6th out of 7 teams in the 12-to-score comp, with our (ultimately) dirty dozen completed by Richard Carter (95th), Josh Doyle (107th), George Haslam (114th), Craig Chapman (117th), Stuart Corke (127th), Alex Holmes (136th), Michael Armitage (144th) and Saul Harris (150th). We sit 6th out of 10 teams in the league table after 2 events.
Well done Ed for finishing 8th M40, with John 12th and Oliver 21st; Craig was 16th M50 and Andy Joad was 9th M60.
An excellent team effort overall, and great to see some new faces racing in the Deckchair.
Looking ahead
The next XC fixture is Kent League Race 3 at Danson Park, Bexley on Nov 9th. This is, unfortunately, the one League race of the season that omits senior women. There is a race at Danson for super vet women, aged 65+, and for all men’s categories.
The reverse fixture is scheduled for Nov 23rd at Swanley Park, when the races welcome all women’s categories, but only men aged 70+.
I will circulate more details about Danson Park nearer the time, but if you think you would like to marshal that day, please do let me know. I would also very much appreciate it if someone can transport the gazebo – if you can do this on Nov 9 please let me know.
We have over 100 Harriers signed up to XC which is great, but there is still time to register for the rest of the season!
If you have not yet registered for XC, you can still do so in time for Danson Park. Please email me, and there is a £10 registration fee which must be paid by Monday, Nov 4.
Thanks, Robin
